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In a statement to MPs, the PM said that the agreements reached between the government and the EU secured a "breadth and depth of co-operation beyond anything the EU has agreed with any other country".

The Prime Minister Theresa May is battling to save her job and the government’s withdrawal agreement following a wave of resignations by cabinet members and ministers.

A series of government ministers have resigned in opposition to Theresa May’s withdrawal agreement with the EU.

Mounting resignations

Cabinet ministers  Dominic Raab, Brexit Secretary, and Esther McVey, Work and Pensions Secretary, both quit the cabinet today after yesterday’s marathon cabinet meeting.

The first resignation of the day came at 07.30  this morning with the Minister for Northern Ireland Shailesh Vara posting his resignation letter on twitter.

Just over an hour later, Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab announced his resignation on Twitter.

He tweeted: “I cannot in good conscience support the terms proposed for our deal with the EU.”

In his resignation letter, Mr Raab said that the withdrawal agreement “presents a very real threat to the integrity of the United Kingdom”.

He also wrote: “an indefinite backstop arrangement, where the EU holds a veto over our ability to exit.”

Mr Raab’s resignation was swiftly followed by Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey, who resigned just before 10.00.

In her resignation letter, Ms McVey criticised the deal which Mrs May put to the cabinet yesterday, which “does not honour the result of the referendum.”

Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party, Rehman Chishti resigned this afternoon saying that he could not support the draft agreement and that he was ‘very disappointed’ with the government.

Other resignations tabled this morning include Brexit minister Suella Braverman and PPS to Education Ministers Anne-Marie Trevelyan.

Statement to the Commons

In a statement to MPs, Mrs May said that the agreements reached between the government and the EU secured a “breadth and depth of co-operation beyond anything the EU has agreed with any other country”.

She also reminded MPs that the draft treaty agreed by the Cabinet 0n Wednesday afternoon was not a finalised agreement but serves to bring the UK “close to a Brexit deal.”

“It takes back control of our borders, laws and money. It protects jobs, security and the integrity of the United Kingdom, and it delivers in ways that many said could not simply be done,” said the PM

“The outline political declaration sets out a breadth and depth of co-operation beyond anything the EU has agreed with any other country.”

Jeremy Corbyn, responding to the Prime Minister’s statement, has strongly criticised the draft deal, describing it as a “leap in the dark”.

The Labour leader described the Government as in “chaos” and labelled the outline political declaration as a “huge and damaging failure”.

“After two years of bungled negotiations the Government has produced a botched deal that reaches the Prime Minister’s own red lines and does not meet our six tests.”

“The Government is in chaos. Their deal risks leaving the country in an indefinite halfway house without a real say.”

Reaction

Reacting to today’s events, Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable told City News that Chequers was “dead”, and called for a ‘people’s vote’.

David Lammy told City News that the Labour Party are seeking a General election and will consider its stance on Brexit going forwards.

More on this story as it develops…